Naturopathic Medicine

Herbal Therapy/Herbal Medicine

Herbal Therapy also known as Herbal Medicine is the practice of using herbs to promote health and prevent and treat illness. Herbal medicine has been around for centuries and has developed throughout many cultures.

Herbs and their medicinal uses are strongly represented in modern medicine. One-quarter of all prescription drugs are derived from herbs, trees or shrubs. Many of today’s pharmaceutical medications are based on herbal medicines borrowed from older cultures. Medicinal herbs are used heavily in Europe, Asia and Latin America, but in the U.S., the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has tried to restrict the use of herbal medicines because they compete with pharmaceutical and synthetic medicine sales.

Today, research findings are being used to validate and refine the use of herbal therapies. Herbs have often been shown to be effective by virtue of the natural chemicals within them. More research is being done to isolate the active ingredients in herbs to make their physiologic actions even more effective.

Herbs and herbal supplements that are administered orally act more slowly than isolated derivatives that are introduced directly into the blood stream; however, herbs taken orally on a consistent basis are, in most cases, well suited for treating chronic health issues. Herbs can be administered in teas, capsules or liquid tinctures, via oils within the herbs or the peel, or in ointments and salves.

Categories of Herbs Based on Treatment Type

The general categories of herbs and their functions are:

Adaptogenic herbs help the body adapt to and resist stress by supporting glands (e.g., licorice)

Alternative herbs help restore general function of the body (e.g., goldenseal)

Expectorant herbs help remove irritants and mucous in the lungs and respiratory passages

Hepatics help liver function in digestion and detoxification

Hypotensives lower elevated blood pressure (e.g., hawthorn)

List of Herbs

Herbal remedies can play an important role in the treatment of many conditions, and may provide safer alternatives to many pharmaceutical treatments. Following is a quick reference list of common natural herbal products with a brief description of their traditional uses.

Aloe Vera: Skin soothing and softening

Cayenne: Stimulation of the circulatory and digestive systems; rheumatism